Reposted from EMR-ISAC

National First Responder’s Day was observed this week on Oct. 28. For several years, this day has been recognized with congressional resolutions, state and local government resolutions, other accolades, plus discounts and promotions at stores and restaurants.

The day honors the service and sacrifice of those working in all public safety disciplines for answering the call in their communities. The following is a selection of recent documentaries that were either created by first responders or in collaboration with members of the public safety community. These films showcase the work first responders do every day and the issues that are important to them.

(2023) Odd Hours, No Pay, Cool Hat - Presented by John Deere in association with the National Volunteer Fire Council, HoldFast Features, and Vignette. Follow the inspiring journey of the most remarkable neighbors whose help you hope you never need - volunteer firefighters - as they encounter heart-breaking challenges and exhilarating triumphs to fulfill a single mission: serving their community. Heart-warming, humorous, and thrilling, this sweeping portrait of bravery will capture your heart and inspire.

(2023) Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire - Filmed across the West and narrated by Golden Globe and Emmy nominated actor David Oyelowo, this documentary takes viewers on a journey with the top experts in the nation to better understand fire. The film follows the harrowing escape from Paradise, California as the town ignited from wind-driven embers and burned within a few hours of the fire's start. It then continues to the even more recent fires of the last two years, when Oregon, California and Colorado suffered their worst wildfires in recorded history.

(2023) Every 20 Years: Wildland Fires in San Bernardino County. Approximately every 20 years, a large campaign fire takes place in the San Bernardino County mountains. This short documentary examines the recurring pattern of wildfires in the San Bernardino Mountains. Through historical context and personal narratives, this film sheds light on the challenges faced by firefighters, residents, and first responders as they contend with these large fires. It underscores the importance of preparedness and defensible space in mitigating wildfire risks for residents in this disaster-prone region.

(2023) Honorable but Broken: EMS in Crisis - Narrated by six-time Golden Globe and two-time Primetime Emmy award winning actress Sarah Jessica Parker and endorsed by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) and the National Registry of EMTs (NREMT). A documentary film exploring the world of EMTs and Paramedics, the collapse of the EMS system, and what needs to be done to save it.

(2024) Burned: Protecting the Protectors - A collaboration between Ethereal Films, the Last Call Foundation, Footpath Pictures, and producer Mark Ruffalo. BURNED is a public service announcement to firefighters everywhere. It tells the true story of how the spouse of a firefighter revealed significant exposure to forever chemicals affecting the fire community.

(2024) Through the Smoke – Created by Zach Hamelton and the Haines City (Florida) Fire Department. This 10-episode documentary series features the Haines City firefighters and command staff's day-to-day life, including what happens both on and off calls. It will dispel some common misconceptions about the fire service and will showcase the first responders themselves and their unique personalities.

Reposted from CISA

On Oct. 29, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released its 2025–2026 International Strategic Plan, the agency’s first, which supports the agency’s first comprehensive strategic plan and aligns with the National Security Memorandum on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience published in April 2024. The International Strategic Plan focuses on how CISA will proactively engage international partners to strengthen the security and resilience of our nation’s critical infrastructure. Since the risks we face are complex, geographically dispersed and do not abide by borders, protecting and securing our cyber and physical infrastructure requires the concerted efforts of public and private partners around the globe. Our International Strategic Plan outlines three goals CISA must achieve to address the ever-changing and dynamic challenges facing America and our international partners.

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Reposted from SafeHaven Security

As stress increases across our society, anger and conflict have increased as well. For many, physical violence is becoming an ever more acceptable answer to problems, even in the workplace.   This webinar is an intro to our GET..LIVE De-Escalation Master Class. From this session you will learn the keys to controlling your emotions under extreme stress. Attendees will walk away feeling empowered and fully prepared to respond appropriately to any situation both at work and in life. Webinar: GET…LIVE De-Escalation Strategies & Skills November 19 | 1:30pmCST $29 Registration

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Reposted from Tim Richardson

What do you say when you talk to yourself? How does this conversation factor into your decision making? Do you act on strong inclinations when you have an overwhelming feeling?

Several years ago, a client called to invite me to a Chicago Cubs game the following week and the night before my presentation. I wasn’t a baseball fan, so I politely declined. A few hours after the invite, that little voice inside my head said, “Go.”  I contacted my client the next day and told him if the offer was still good, I would join him for the game. Even though most years I can’t name any MLB players or even the teams playing in the World Series, I can, however, recall vivid details of that evening – I absolutely LOVED the experience! On another occasion while in New City for a presentation, I was invited to a show at Catch a Rising Star. Again, I politely declined the invite only to have that “feeling” again. Thankfully, my inner voice won me over and that night, I was mesmerized along with the rest of the audience by an authentic and entertaining performance. Had I not listened to that voice, I wouldn’t have met my incredibly talented friend, Victoria LaBalme. That voice, that feeling that we all encounter can not only create incredible experiences, but it might also save us from having unpleasant outcomes. There have been occasions that listening to my internal voice may have saved me from a failure, but often acting on a strong feeling has created unique opportunities to learn, succeed, and expand my personal and professional network.

Listening to that voice resulted in starting my own business, rebranding my speaking focus, and encouraging me to introduce myself to complete strangers that later became friends and even clients.

It’s a tricky balance though as that “voice” can hold us back too resulting in thoughts like:

You aren’t nearly smart enough to do that.

What makes you think you deserve that promotion?

How could you possibly have the talent to lead others?

Why would my prospect buy from me?

How am I ever going to conquer my fear of speaking in public, having difficult conversations, or worrying about outcomes I can’t control?

The voice that invites opportunity can be countered by another voice that discourages action. That voice can cause fear, uncertainty, and indecision. While it’s healthy and appropriate to consider situational ramifications, it’s not wise to only consider the downsides.  If you feel burdened by this feeling, try asking yourself a few questions –

What are the potential upsides of acting in this situation?

Am I refusing to listen to the voice because of fear?

Am I worrying about what others will think of me?

Will I regret not acting later?

Can this experience help increase my comfort with trying new things?

If it doesn’t turn out well, will it lessen or strengthen my desire to take future risks?

Maybe you don’t need to over analyze decisions.  Silencing that inner voice may be the most important task you can accomplish today.

Sometimes it’s okay to just do it.

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Reposted from ICOM

This week’s floods in Spain are the latest in a series of catastrophes which have affected more than 20 countries in recent weeks. The ICOM Secretariat has specifically been in contact with the ICOM National Committees in Austria, Czechia, Japan, Mali, Nepal, Poland, Romania and Spain. This is to monitor the local situations and to ascertain the needs of the Committees as they work to support the museum community and evaluate the extent of the damage in their respective countries.

Floods are a severe threat for museums, endangering both the structure of the museums and the conservation of collections. High humidity and water are some of the major threats against works of art and museum collections. In the context of these more frequent extreme weather events, ICOM wishes to draw attention to existing resources regarding museum preparedness that have been developed by its National and Expert Committees. In 2021, the ICOM International Committee on Conservation (ICOM CC) published its Guidelines for Cultural Heritage Recovery for Water Damaged Objects. These guidelines are based on the experiences of floods in Central Europe, China and India and are intended for museum professionals worldwide.

The ICOM National Committee in Austria have formed a working group including the regional museums-associations, the Federal Ministry, the Austrian Emergency Platform for Museums and Archives, the Austrian UNESCO-Commission, the Federal Monuments Office, the Austrian Armed Forces and Blue Shield Austria, to develop a publication on emergency planning for museums & cultural institutions, compiling all relevant information from international organizations that is already available into a useful, comprehensive manual. One of the resources that will be included is the ICCROM toolkit, “First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis – For coordinated emergency preparedness and response to secure tangible and intangible heritage”.

The “ICOM Austria Emergency Tag for Priority Evacuation in Museum Storage” was also developed by ICOM Austria, Blue Shield Austria and Blue Shield International to clearly and consistently mark objects that should be saved first from storage during a crisis, a critical question that arises during all kinds of emergencies.  The design and guidance for the use of the tag are available in Open Access. ICOM Austria can share the design, free of copyright, with all interested ICOM Committees and concerned institutions. In Czechia, extensive floods in 1997 and 2002 have already marked the country and its museum community. Building on this experience, some institutions have developed research on this topic and have shared this experience with others who are facing crises. ICOM remains committed to supporting the emergency responses for the museums affected.

ICOM offers our deepest condolences to the affected countries and the families of the victims. We also extend our sincere sympathy and support to all museum professionals in the impacted regions. Do not hesitate to reach out to the Heritage Protection Department at the ICOM Secretariat (heritage.protection@icom.museum) or to the National Committees directly, should you wish to exchange with them on the matter or should you want to share some other best practices or experiences in this area.

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Reposted from EMR-ISAC

In an age where digital systems have an electronic tendril in nearly every aspect of our lives, the role of cybersecurity researchers is more important than ever. The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) “See Something, Say Something” campaign is a cornerstone of public safety in the physical world, but the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) sees these principles as being just as important in the online world. Information security researchers act as the digital equivalents of observant citizens, uncovering flaws in systems that could otherwise be exploited by criminals and foreign threat actors. This Oct. 23 CISA blog outlines the ideal process for a typical coordinated vulnerability disclosure and tips for ensuring clear communications during a crisis. It encourages public entities and critical infrastructure owners to engage with security researchers and foster a culture of collaboration for vulnerability reporting.

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Reposted from EMR-ISAC

As natural disasters, extreme weather, and climate change increasingly impact society, resilience across homeland security missions, systems and communities is of increasing importance. Robust scientific weather, water, space, and climate information and technologies are necessary to solidify critical supply chains, infrastructure sectors, and community response. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) released a report last month, Extreme Weather: Opportunities for Improved Preparedness and Resilience. The report focuses on understanding the state of extreme weather science (with an emphasis on floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, extreme heat, and wildfires), advances in observational technologies and networks, and the emerging domain of environmental intelligence necessary to develop proper risk mitigation strategies and better enable frontline operations. This report is built on a DHS S&T and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) joint workshop hosted at the University of Oklahoma National Weather Center in February 2024.

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Reposted from AMM

Future Chat: Diving into Museum Data Thursday, November 14 at 3:00–4:00 PM ET As the country rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic, how are museums doing? Who is coming to museums and why? How does attendance compare to pre-pandemic norms? What are the barriers to visitation? Join CFM director Elizabeth Merritt for Future Chats—a new AAM series on trends, news, and the implications for our sector. For the third installment of the series on November 14, at 3:00 PM ET, she will chat with Susie Wilkening, principal of Wilkening Consulting, about the latest data from the Annual Survey of Museum-Goers. After the chat, join discussion groups to explore solutions for increasing engagement, and share your own experiences with post-pandemic visitor trends. General portions of this Future Chat will be recorded. Breakout discussions will not be recorded, and are only available to live participants. November 14 Join us live for the third Future Chat of the series!    REGISTER   Presented by:   Elizabeth Merritt - AAM’s vice president for strategic foresight and founding director of the Center for the Future of Museums—a think tank and research lab for the museum field. Elizabeth is the author of the Alliance’s annual TrendsWatch report, and writes and speaks prolifically on the trends shaping the future of nonprofit organizations. She holds an MA from Duke University and a BS from Yale University, and attended the Museum Management Institute.   Susie Wilkening - Principal of Wilkening Consulting, Susie brings 25 years of museum experience, including nearly 20 years leading custom projects and national research. She oversees the Annual Survey of Museum-Goers, authors Data Stories infographics, and wrote Audiences and Inclusion and Life Stages of the Museum Visitor. A media go-to expert, her insights are featured in The New York Times, NPR, and others. She holds a BS in History, Technology, and Society from Georgia Tech and an MA from the Winterthur Program in Early American Culture at the University of Delaware.   This is the third Future Chat and the last scheduled in 2024—stay tuned for details about 2025 programs!

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Reposted from Honeywell

You're invited: Solutionsphere: Control Access with Lifesafety Panels

Our solutions prioritize efficiency and connected systems. During our webinar on November 13th at 12:30pm EST, discover an all-in-one powerful solution tailored for 4,8, and 16 door PRO-Watch access controllers, offering unmatched flexibility, functionality, and cost savings. Don't miss this opportunity to learn about solutions that enhance reliability and efficiency for your access control systems.       DATE   Nov 13, 2024   TIME   12:30 PM EST   LOCATION   Zoom Webinar   HOSTED BY   Honeywell Commercial Security

REGISTER HERE

Here is what you will learn during the webinar: ·     What are the latest features/panels available through Pro-Watch ·     Leveraging connected systems with Pro-Watch access control  ·     How centralized operating power helps improve efficiency Host: Maureen Bruen, Consultant and Business Development Manager Speakers: Adam Belkowitz, Business Development Manager Michael Bone, Sr. Application Engineer Timothy Clarke, Business Development Manager

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Reposted from AMM Join us where the arts and culture scene flow like the mighty Mississippi!

 

 

We’re thrilled to announce that the 97th conference of the Association of Midwest Museums will take place in the Quad Cities (Illinois and Iowa) in summer 2025!  With 30+ museums of all shapes and sizes proudly working together to boost this 400,000-person bistate metro region along the Mississippi River, the Quad Cities are giving big creative energy with small town vibes. AMM 2025 sessions and events are sure to delight and inspire! PLUS the Quad Cities are a short drive (or flight) from many Midwestern cities, making it an easy destination for a retreat to connect with your peers and fill your well!

Save the Date!

We'll kick off the conference with a virtual day on July 23. Then, we'll gather together in-person at the RiverCenter in Davenport, IA, from July 30-August 2 for sessions, hands-on workshops, and time with our peers. Of course, we'll also get out and explore arts and culture destinations across this multi-city region! In the coming weeks, we'll share more exciting news about this year's partners, conference theme, and the Call for Proposals. Stay tuned!

Member museums in the Quad Cities welcome you!

Your peers in the Quad Cities want you to come see the magic they’re making happen!

There are many ways for local museums and service providers to get involved in the planning process and get featured in the program. If you're interested in learning more, contact Charity Counts, executive director of AMM.

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